After a semester on Art at my University, I must say that
I’ve developed a little bit of Art Appreciation thanks to my prof. One thing I
will always remember when talking about art appreciation is that it is highly
subjective but that subjectivity is based on objective principles. Although it
takes a lot more cultivation and refinement in learning to appreciate art, I
still do enjoy going to Art Exhibits.
An Art Gallery that I will never get sick of frequenting is BenCab Museum at Baguio founded by Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, known as the master of contemporary Philippine art.
It does take
a lot to fully comprehend what the artist means to portray through his art, but
then you will somehow get a glimpse of his message with a closer look.
BenCab Museum houses
art pieces from BenCab himself and other Filipino artists. I’ve visited the Museum
about four times and the displays do change over time.
The Art displays are a mixture of paintings, wood carving,
installation art, among many others. It is also a showcase of technique and
innovative use of materials. It is to no surprise that some of these pieces are
sold for millions!
I will never get sick of going to this place! I suggest that
you book a guide for the tour to enlighten you on the history and meaning of
the pieces. Our tour guide was Tanly and he was quite humorous.
A specific piece about aboriton entitled Red Mansueto portrayed strong emotions of grief, sorrow, melancholy, failure, and lifelessness.
A frequent image in the art pieces that you will see at BenCab will be of a woman named "Sabel". She is believed to be the "Sisa" of this world - a woman who developed a mental illness - whom BenCab took inspiration from.
There are also wood carvings and ethnic pieces on display
Aside from the art exhibit, you can also book and eco trail
around the Farm and Garden. Be sure to wear/ bring rubbershoes as the path can get
slippery specially when it rains.
There you will see lots of plants, flowers, fruits, and
vegetables. More than that, I enjoyed the breeze of fresh air and the scenic
view.
You will also get to tour around the different ethnic houses
and cottages.
After a long trail you may eat at Café Sabel and enjoy their scrumptious meals and refreshments.
Believe me, you will need to, especially after a long walk.
A small space at the museum is an adult-only section that
showcases classy R-18 art pieces. Some people might find it offending and inappropriate
but I don’t believe so. It’s ART, people!
Be sure to drop by the shop for some souvenirs. They even sell local notepads with cute Filipino phrases used as design.
You will need probably at least an entire morning or
afternoon to completely tour around BenCab, but it is surely worth the while!
I can’t wait to go back.
BenCab Museum
Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan,
Tuba, Benguet, Philippines
(+63 74) 442 7165
bencabartfoundation@gmail.com
